Health News with Steven & Mady - What's Really in Your Paper Towels?

Send us Fan MailYour kitchen counter has a quiet suspect hiding in plain sight: the paper towel roll. We start with a simple question that turns surprisingly complex fast, what happens when everyday paper products are screened for organic fluorine, a lab marker that can indicate PFAS contamination. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are the “forever chemicals” built to resist water, grease, and stains, and that persistence is exactly why they matter for environmental health and consumer safety. We also slow down and get precise about what the testing means: organic fluorine detection is a screening tool, not a diagnosis of a specific PFAS chemical and not a direct readout of your personal health risk from wiping up one spill.From there, we unpack the recycled paper problem that nobody wants to think about. Recycled can be a win for sustainability, but it also raises a hard question: what was in the source material before it was recycled? We talk through research on thermal receipt paper, including BPA and BPS findings, and why some agencies recommend keeping receipts out of recycling to reduce contamination in the paper stream. If you have ever assumed “recycled” automatically means “cleaner,” this conversation will help you separate environmental goals from chemical exposure questions.We also challenge the idea that bamboo paper towels are automatically safer. Some bamboo products reportedly test non-detect for organic fluorine, while at least one bamboo product shows a detectable result, which is a reminder to evaluate the specific product and the transparency behind it. We wrap with five practical steps you can take right now, plus a bigger takeaway: become a label reader for everything, not just food, because marketing words like eco, green, and natural do not replace independent testing and clear sourcing.If this helped you think more clearly about PFAS, paper towels, and smarter shopping, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Support the showOrder your copy today of "Achieve Optimal Brain Health with Nutrition," by Stefan McDermott.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DYWMB929www.stefanmcdermott.comTo Book an event with The Santa Steven and Mrs. Claus go to:https://www.gigsalad.com/the_santa_steven_aubrey